Weaving yarns of fibers may produce fabrics. The fabric's properties depend on the properties of the fibers. Illustratively, wool fibers are used to keep a person warm in the winter; asbestos fibers are used as a flame retardant, steel fiber are used for strength whereas gold fibers are used for conducting electricity.
Combining fibers does not always result in a fabric that possesses a useful set of properties for a range of applications. For example, anti-ballistic fibers, such as Kevlar, are sensitive to heat. Although adding flame retardant fibers of asbestos may provide limited support, Kevlar fabrics would not work optimally if exposed to continuous heat as well as to ballistic projectiles. Ideally, compatible fibers having unique mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties would be woven into fabrics that demonstrate all the desired properties within the fabric.
In addition to the limited range of applications, fabric quality depends on the ability to interweave yarns with one another. The material structure and size of the fibers and resulting yarns may inhibit the range of application of a certain fabric. Illustratively, fabrics that block entry of pathenogenic biological materials require that the consistent yarns be interwoven tightly to prevent any gaps between one another. The thickness of individual fibers alone could allow significant gaps within each yarn defined by those fibers. Generally, there does not exist a nanoscale fiber (1×10 –9 meters) that provides significant strength and ductility so as to define a fabric.